Shoe with flexible forepart



Dec 14 1954 J. A. cmo 2,696,683

SHOE WITH.FLEXIBLE FOREPART Filed Jan. 27', 1953 United States Patent SHOE WITH FLEXIBLE FOREPART Joseph A. Ciao, Corona, N. Y.

Application January 27, 1953, Serial No. 333,566

3 Claims. (Cl. 36-76) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in flexible platform shoes.

Heretofore, in shoes of the platform type, the platform and the shank portion have been relatively rigidly connected and so, for instance in womens shoes, the foot tends to ride up in the shoe at the heel so that the heel or quarter strap on open back shoes frequently breaks and on closed back shoes, the heel tends to ride up in the shoe. The same is true of mens shoes depending upon the rigidity of the sole.

It is also a diiculty with previous shoes of this type that the shank has been so connected to the platform that the covering over the shank and platform frequently breaks at the back of the platform requiring frequent repair.

The object of this invention is to eliminate these diiculties and disadvantages' by so connecting the shank and the platform that the shoe may be worn with cornfort and ease without any breaking of either the cover material or the quarter straps as hitherto.

In general terms, the shoe is divided in two separate parts, the platform and the shank, both pivotally connected, with the outsole being applied to the platform only and the shank being covered with any suitable material such as leather or fabric, as may be desired. This pivotal connection permits the proper and necessary relatively movable relation between the two parts without subjecting the covering to unnecessary and breaking stresses.

The preferred forms which the invention may assume are shown in the drawings, of which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a shoe embodying my invention shown resting in position flat on the ground.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the shoewith the heel lifted, and with the shank pivoted with respect to the platform.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing one manner of connecting the shank to the platform.

Fig` 4 is an inverted plan view showing the same connection, and with the sole broken away.

Fig. 5 is a partial view of the forward portion of the shank showing the connecting tongue.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the above specific form of connection between the platform and the shank.

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing another form of connection.

Fig. 8 is yet another similar view showing still another form of connection.

Referring now merely to the specific forms of the invention herein represented, it is to be noted that it applies particularly to the well-known platform type of shoe in which there is a platform 10, to which is to be connected a shank element 11, the lower forward end of which is provided with a projecting tongue 12. It is, of course, to be seen that the body of the shoe and the platform are covered in any suitable manner with any desired material 13 such as leather, suede, or composition of any kind.

The platform is provided with a slot 14 to receive the tongue 12 as shown in Fig. 6, and the tongue is then fastened in place therein by any suitable means such as sewing, cementing, or nailing. It will be noticed that the slot 14 is disposed forward of the rear edge of the platform so that in the movement of the parts in Walking, there is a minimum liability of the heel riding in the shoe or the quarter strap breaking and the cover material is not likely to rip.

it is seen in Fig.y 3 that the shank 11 at the tongue end is provided on each side of the tongue 14, with projecting wings 13a and 13b, which` will extend along the top of the platform at the sides thereof and may be connected and covered to present a smooth even nished appearance at this point.

In the form of the shoe shown in Fig. 7, the end of the tongue 12a is cemented, nailed, or sewed to the top of the platform 10a along a line forward of the rear edge of the platform without any slot in the platform, the underside of the end of the tongue being beveled to t.

ln the form of shoe shown in Fig. 8, the platform is made of two layers 10b and 10c and the tongue end 12b of the shank is beveled and inserted therebetween at the rear edge thereof, as shown, and then suitably connected in this position.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the edges of the covering are drawn around the edges ofthe platform and an outsole 15 is then applied. It has been definitely found that when the shank is thus connected to the platform the heel of the wearer does not ride up in the shoe or break the quarter strap and the cover material is not subjected to breaking stresses.

While the invention in several forms thereof has been shown and described in detail, I do not wish to be limited to such details and forms except insofar as the invention may be limited by the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a shoe having a sole platform, and a shank to be connected thereto, a tongue on said shank at its forward edge, said platform having a transverse slot extending therethrough forwardly of its rear edge to receive said tongue, the end of the tongue being fastened to the undersurface of the platform forwardly of the slot, whereby the shank portion may move angularly relatively to the sole without flexing the sole.

2. In a shoe having a sole platform, and a shank toy be connected thereto, a tongue on said shank at its forward edge, said platform at its rear edge being horizontally split to receive said tongue, which is suitably fastened therein, whereby the shank portion may move angularly relatively to the sole without flexing the sole.

3. In a shoe, a platform having a slot, a shank having a tongue projecting through said slot and secured to the underside of said platform, and wings on each side of the tongue extending along the top of the platform at the sides thereof, whereby the shank may move anguarly relatively tothe platform without flexing the platorm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 50,236 Fulton Oct. 3, 1865 96,452 Loper Nov. 2, 1869 1,413,888 Barshatsky Apr. 25, 1922 1,462,798 Nickerson July 24, 1923 1,785,035 Maccarone Dec. 16, 1930 2,095,953 Bazzoni Oct. 19, 1937 2,114,399 Nutt Apr. 19, 1938 2,217,341 Kamborian Oct. 8, 1940 2,416,868 De Luca Mar. 4, 1947 2,505,706 Damon Apr. 25, 1950 2,538,170 Stritter Jan. 16, 1951 

